The Breakfast Club
by Warehouse-14-Agent
Summary: Phil's the quiet, sweet kid who sits in the back of the classroom hoping not to get bullied. Dan's the stubborn, but still quite likable kid who's not afraid to stand up for what he believes in. Claudia's the spunky, 'I-do-what-I-want' kid who's always in detention for getting in fights. What happens when the three meet? Can they survive their last year of high school?
1. Teenagers by My Chemical Romance

"Get the fuck out," Claudia's older brother hissed at her. The redheaded girl rolled her eyes and slammed the car door as she got out of the black automobile. Though her back was turned to the car, she could hear the window roll down. As if her brother hadn't had enough to say to her when she woke him up at six that morning. "And stop getting so much fucking detention." he growled at her one last time before rolling up the window, and driving away.

Claudia sighed and before his car disappeared from total view, she raised her middle finger high into the air. Hoping that her brother saw in his rear view mirror. Then throwing her checker print backpack over her shoulder, she headed into the very pit of Hell. Known to teenagers as high school.

This was usual for Claudia. Getting detention and having to wake up at six o'clock in the morning just to have to arrive at school a hour earlier than required. Just to sit in a room filled with people she preferred to call 'swag faggots'. Guys who wore snap-back hats on their heads, listened to rap music, and didn't have the least bit of common sense to pull up their goddamned pants.

She hated being in the detention classroom with them. They were all sick, twisted, and sexual individuals. They looked at her as something attractive, but something that was playing hard to get. Some even went as far as to pinching her ass as she walked by. It disgusted her, and if a teacher wasn't around she would end up turning around to slap the person.

Claudia pushed open the door leading into detention, their watcher wasn't sitting at the desk, and she silently thanked God that she had made it in time. If she hadn't she would have gotten more. The smell of drugs intoxicated her nostrils and made her sick to her stomach.

Shaking her head, she walked to her usual desk in the back of the class. While she walked by, she felt someone pinch her ass. Claudia felt her blood boil; she wasn't going to have it today. Throwing down her backpack on her desk, she spun around on her heels; glaring at the Mexican swag faggot who was snickering with his companions.

The boy had a black fringe haircut, dark brown eyes, and an Angels snap-back was placed backwards on his head. Which disgusted the red-haired girl even more.

"Hey, faggot!" Claudia hissed, finally getting his attention, and when he turned to face her she slapped him. There was a loud _pop _and everyone turned their eyes to the two of them. A red hand print now plastered onto the side of his face.

"What the hell, bitch?" the boy questioned her.

"Touch my fucking ass again, and I'll put you in the fucking hospital." Claudia threatened before swiftly turning back around, and sitting down in her desk. Turning on her phone, plugging in her earphones, and turning her music up to full volume. Waiting for time to pass.

* * *

"Are you sure you don't want me to drive you to school, sweetie?" Mrs. Lester questioned her son while handing him his backpack. "No thanks, mum, I can walk. It's not that far." Phil murmured as he tossed his purple backpack over his shoulder. The concern in his mother's eyes caused him to flinch slightly. Yet he offered her a soft smile before kissing her on the cheek, and heading out the door.

He wanted to walk to have more time to mentally prepare himself for the day ahead of him. His family had moved out to a Pittsburgh suburb area because his family wanted to move to the States. Phil was fine with it, he didn't mind. He was actually interested in living in America. That was until he began school.

From the beginning day, his was teased and bullied. For some odd reason the other individuals there found him 'gay' because of his purple backpack and black skinny jeans. Others found him 'posh' because of his accent. Some just found him weird because of the graphic shirts he would wear that referenced to bands he liked, or video games he played like Pokemon.

The taunting and bullying was hard on Phil. He hadn't been bullied much at his former high school. He had companions who protected him from those kinds of people. Yet, here, he was all alone until he found some friends. Which he hoped he found soon.

He sighed as his ice blue eyes focused on the large education facility in front of him. Shaking his head, he continued towards the school, and prepared the last bit of himself for the day.

* * *

Dan Howell stumbled into the familiar detention classroom, he was late. His first detention and he had arrived late. Luckily, the teacher was too busy reading his book to pay attention to Dan. Therefore he assumed he got away with it. The smell of drugs was sickening, and the sight of all the swag faggots made this all the more unbearable.

He looked around the room until he made sudden eye contact with a redheaded girl who sat in the back of the classroom. Upon having her hazel eyes connect with his dark browns, she removed her earphones from her ears. She smiled kindly to him and shook her head, gesturing to the desk next to her.

Dan smiled back at her, walking over down the isle of desks until he reached the one the girl had gestured to. He climbed over the chair and sat down so that his legs were facing her. She smiled to him, and placed her legs on his legs like a footrest. "Sup kid, I'm Claudia. I've never seen you around here before, first detention?" she wondered. Dan blushed, but nodded anyways.

"Aye, that's alright. So, what'd you do to get in here?" Claudia asked him.

"I stood up for this kid who was getting called gay for having a purple backpack. He's supposed to be here too." Dan explained to her. He saw her glance to the side for a second before responding.

"Tall kid, haircut kinda like yours?" she wondered; Dan nodded, and she tossed her head to the side gesturing to the front of the classroom. He turned his head to see Phil Lester the kid he had stuck up for. He smiled at the familiar teenager, waving him over, and pointing to the desk in front of him. Phil smiled in return, walked down the isle, and settled himself into the desk.

"Hey Dan, who's this?" Phil asked, switching his gaze between Dan and Claudia.

"This is Claudia," Dan introduced the redheaded girl; she reached across and shook Phil's hand.

"Like your backpack, bro." Claudia commented on Phil's purple bag which caused him to blush furiously.

"Uh, thanks, I don't like it much though." Phil murmured.

"Because it's purple right?" Claudia supposed; Phil nodded. That's when Claudia smiled, unzipped her backpack, and begin to take all of her items out of it before handing it to Phil.

"Empty your bag." Claudia instructed him. Phil cocked his eyebrows into a questioning expression; Claudia sighed.

"Danny here told me that you got called gay for having a purple backpack. I don't wanna see you getting bullied anymore. Therefore, we switch thy backpacks." Claudia proclaimed.

At this explanation, Phil smiled brightly for the first time since he had been at the school. He didn't even know this girl and yet she was being so nice to him. It was different, and he liked it. Therefore he unzipped his backpack as well, removed all of his stuff from it, and handed it to Claudia. Who then began to fill it with her things.

"Thanks Claudia," Phil grinned.

"Aye, no problem." Claudia purred before giving him a wink meant in the utmost teasing/friendly manner.

"Now, you kiddo." Claudia began, turning back to Dan who had just been sitting there quietly as Claudia and Phil talked. He watched as the redheaded girl eyed him up and down. Which made him feel self-conscious.

"You're wearing a Fall Out Boy t-shirt I see. I don't know if I should just compliment it, or if I should get down on my knee and ask you to marry me." she laughed, yet her facial expression still surprisingly serious.

"What? Why would you do that?" Dan wondered, not quite sure as to why she would want to do such. He watched as she glanced at the group of swag faggots a few desks away from them before turning back to him.

"I'm pretty sure there is not a single boy within this school that has that great taste in music." Claudia pointed out. Then she turned to Phil. It was clear that she was trying to include both boys in the conversation so neither felt left out.

"What about you, Phil? What kind of music you like?" she asked him, he stopped playing with his hair to answer.

"Punk-rock really. Like Muse, Fall Out Boy, and Panic! At The Disco." he explained, naming off a few bands he liked the most. There was a gleeful spark in Claudia's eyes before she smiled wildly.

"Now, I don't know which one of you to marry." she joked; Dan and Phil gave each other unsure looks for a second before smiling to each other. Understanding that Claudia was just trying to make them feel better. To make them feel not so alone in a school filled with judgment.

Soon enough the first period bell rang, and the three of them stood up. Phil and Dan cast sad looks at one another before looking at Claudia. Who had seen their looks of sadness.

"Awe, come on guys, I'll see you at lunch. Just four periods away. Bye-bye now." Claudia tried to cheer them up, and it sort of worked. Yet both boys were still nervous as to what would happen that particular morning. At least they could look forward to seeing the spunky redheaded girl again. Knowing that her friendship hadn't been for just detention.


	2. Radioactive by Imagine Dragons

As Phil dug through his new backpack to find his textbook, and he laughed to himself when he pulled out a bottle of perfume. An item Claudia had forgotten to take out of the bag when she was emptying its contents. The ebony-haired teenager hadn't been able to keep from thinking about the redheaded girl throughout his earlier periods. She had treated him so nicely, and no one had done that really since he had arrived at the school. Besides Dan who had defended him the other day.

Perhaps it was wrong for Phil to think of Claudia as a crush already. Yet, he couldn't help it. When he thought of her he blushed a deep red and a wide grin spread across his face. Was this normal? To already like her as more than a friend? No, it wasn't, Phil concurred in his thoughts. Yet, he wasn't exactly the most normal person ever either. Therefore, in a particularly deceiving manner it wasn't all that abnormal.

Phil smiled to himself, mentally agreeing with himself that it was okay.

* * *

Dan, on the other hand, saw Claudia as a potential big sister. The older sister he never had, and never had particularly thought of having. Yet, the thought of Claudia being his elder sister figure pleased Dan. She seemed like someone who would snap the neck of anyone who tried to hurt him. Someone who would protect him.

Yet, at the same time Dan figured that she could be almost a little sister too. Someone who held a threatening, protective demeanor, but still needed some protection herself. He would protect her, Dan decided to himself. From heartbreak, from people who taunted her. Then Dan was struck with the thought, that maybe it was too early to be thinking of her in such a manner.

To be thinking of her in such a manner like a sister. Was it too sudden? Dan couldn't help it, there was just something about her that gave him that sense. It seemed right.

Dan smiled to himself, mentally agreeing with himself that it was okay.

* * *

Claudia saw Dan and Phil as potential best friends. She had figured out that Phil was this sweet, innocent kid that couldn't exactly defend himself from taunters. Phil was a lover not a fighter, Claudia figured out. She found him oddly adorable, but in a fourteen-year-old kid kind of way. She had thought for a split second that perhaps, as time went on, she would come to find him more age-appropriate adorable. Even date him, but she figured that was for later times to think about.

She thought of Dan as a potential younger brother. She figured that he was one of those 'I-stand-up-for-what-I-believe-in-no-matter-what' kind of kids. Someone who would get into a lot more trouble, and who need someone to bail him out from time to time. Claudia would do that for him, she thought.

The redheaded girl knew she was going to end up being extremely over-protective of the boys. Yet, this made a wide grin spread across her face. All the more reason for the students at school to fear her. To learn not to mess with her friends. Was it strange to think of Dan as a younger brother already however? Or to think of Phil as someone 'adorable'?

Claudia shook her head to answer herself, and smiled, mentally agreeing with herself that it was okay.

* * *

Lunch time soon came around; Dan and Phil quickly reunited with Claudia who had already saved themselves seats at a table. The three gathered their lunches and returned to their spots before anyone could think of stealing them. There conversations wavered from different topics, and Claudia did her best again to keep both boys active in the conversation.

"So, what did you do exactly to get into detention this morning?" Dan questioned her. She opened her mouth to answer, but then closed it again. Glaring at something, or someone, that stood behind Dan and Phil.

Both dark-haired boys turned around to see it was the same group of immature males from their detention session. Who Dan and Phil supposed as the leader of the group, put both his hands on one of their shoulders before speaking.

"So, you two faggots dating or...?" he asked, earning laughter from his crew.

"Hey! Fuck off, cunt!" Claudia growled, standing up from where she sat at the lunch table. Dan and Phil began to plead for the redheaded girl to sit back down, but their pleads were ignored.

"Oh, so, which one of you owns this? Or do you share her?" the swag faggot questioned, earning another fit of laughter from his companions. Before the troublemaker could process what happened, Claudia punched him straight in his face; knocking him to the ground.

"Neither of them own me! And call them faggots again, I dare you!" she hissed. Dan and Phil glanced at one another, unsure as to what to do. Her intentions were just to protect, but had it been necessary for her to punch the teenager?

To Claudia, yes, it was. She wasn't going to let anyone taunt her friends, and get away with it.  
She wasn't about to let it happen again.

Soon enough, Claudia felt a taller figure looming over her; knowing that it was the principal, she raised her arms behind her hands like a prisoner. "I'll see you guys after school, police's taken me in." Claudia joked to Dan and Phil who looked at her with surprised expressions. She winked at them before following the principal to her office. Leaving the swag faggot on the floor with a bloodied nose, whilst Dan and Phil were left confused.


	3. Miss Jackson by Panic! At The Disco

With ringing still in her ears from the last bell of the day, Claudia exited the school with a wide grin on her face. Yet, despite the smile on her face, she dreaded actually returning to the small apartment she shared with her brother and his prostitute of a girlfriend.

Claudia smiled even wider when she saw Dan and Phil sitting on the concrete steps leading up to the school building. The two of them stood to their feet, and began to question her.

"What happened to you?" Phil wondered at the same time as Dan questioned her "Did you get detention again?" Claudia laughed at them before patting them both on their lower backs and answering them.

"She yelled at me like she always does, and no. I have it even worse, I got suspended for three days. Not that I really care, just means vacation time to me." Claudia explained to the boys who stared at her with wide eyes. Seeing their facial expression made her laugh again, but her carefree demeanor disappeared as a familiar voice reached her ear.

"Claudia Jackson! Get over here!"

Shit, Claudia thought. Her, Dan, and Phil turned their heads to see Claudia's older brother leaning against his black car. His facial expression told Claudia he was not happy within the least. When Claudia didn't move off the steps, he began walking over to her. Claudia glanced from Phil to Dan, wanting to shout at them and tell them to run, but she couldn't bring her voice to work.

Despite how Claudia didn't particularly enjoy showing her fear towards her elder brother, this was one of those times when she couldn't hide it. There was that same fire in his dirty green eyes that told Claudia that she was indeed going to be beaten again.

Her brother grabbed her by her wrists and pulled her closer to him before whispering to him. The smell of alcohol caused a coughing fit to rise in Claudia's throat, but she choked it down unwillingly. "Your principal called me, you little bitch. Can't you do a fucking thing right? No, you can't. Well, guess what. Now, you're expelled from the apartment too. So, don't even think of coming back, ever." he hissed into her ear before letting go of her wrists and shoving her onto the concrete ground.

"Hey, you filthy bastard! Who do you think you are?" Dan growled, stepping in front of Claudia who was being helped off the ground by Phil.

"Her brother, I can do whatever the fuck I like to her. Who the fuck are you?" Claudia's brother questioned, eyeing Dan in disgust.

"Her friend, and just because you're her brother doesn't mean you can do 'whatever the fuck' you like with her!" Dan barked, glancing from the brother to Claudia who was being held onto by Phil as the sudden fall had caused her slight vertigo.

"Look, I wouldn't defend her like that. She's a whore, you know. Used to be a prostitute. Then again, she's experienced in sex so that's one pointer." Claudia's brother pointed out, loud enough still that Claudia could hear.

"Shut up, Chris! Shut up!" Claudia howled, absolute terror shining in her bright hazel eyes.

Her brother raised his hands into the air in false surrender before venturing back to his car, getting in, and driving away. Dan turned back to Claudia who glanced back and forth from him to Phil.

"Claudia...I don't mean to be intrusive, but was that true?" Dan wondered; the fear dimmed from her eyes, and she sighed before nodding her head. Dan stared at the redheaded girl in confusion. He would have never picture Claudia as someone who would do something like that. Yet, the brunette knew there had to be more to the story.

"Come on, we'll take a walk and I'll explain." Claudia suggested, Dan and Phil nodded in agreement before following in step with their companion.

* * *

As the three of them walked around aimlessly, Claudia had begun to explain exactly what her asshole of a brother had meant. Her parents had died when her brother was nineteen and when she was sixteen. At the time, no one would take Claudia for hire and her brother was a drunkard as he is now. Therefore Claudia had to make money for them, or they would've starved to death.

She had come into contact one day with a club owner. He told her she was beautiful and that he needed some new workers. After having his other dancers teach a few things, she was a club dancer and sometimes a waitress.

Claudia also confirmed that she had indeed had sex with two twenty-two-year-old men who paid her to do so. At that point, Claudia would literally do anything for money. She was thinner than thin, to the point where her ribs protruded if she lifted her arms the slightest bit. Dan and Phil were beginning to feel sorrow for Claudia. Having to have done all that just to get money to buy food to take care of her and an abusive brother. It amazed the two boys to no extent.

She went to explain that her employer then found out that she was a street rat and gave her the money to rent an apartment for three months. After applying to a job at a local music store and getting the job, she quit her job as a club dancer. The club owner understood and allowed her to be on her way. Then Claudia got back into school, her brother found a girlfriend who 'paid' their bills with her 'job'.

After explaining basically what she described to be her life story, she encouraged the two 'Brits' as she referred to them to explain their stories. Which both were a bit embarrassed to do, but they did it for the sake of Claudia.

Phil went first and explained his pretty simple life. Living in Manchester for most of his life, and then moving to Pennsylvania because his parents wanted a quieter life. Which he hadn't minded until he started school at Cambridge High School and began to be bullied. Which Claudia replied with: "Yeah, school's full of cunts." which humored Dan and Phil.

Dan went on to explain that his parents and brother. How his brother had developed alcoholism and then when drunk would try to beat Dan. His parents, for a long time, blamed Dan for not being able to keep his brother away from alcohol. Until they caught his brother, Dakota, beating Dan one night. Then his parents sent Dakota to rehab, too ashamed to stay in their home in Berkshire, they moved to Pennsylvania. Which Claudia responded with by wrapping her arm around his waist, considering she was about a foot shorter than him, and said: "Just means you're a misfit like me, we're all misfits.".

* * *

Soon enough, the sky began to darken as night began to fall. The three teenagers had ended up in a local park, loud fits of laughter coming from where they sat on the swing set. All was serene, until Claudia pulled out her phone to look at the time to see it read '8:00'.

"Well, shit! I shouldn't keep you guys any longer. Don't want your parents getting worried." Claudia supposed before slinging her backpack over her shoulder.

"What about you? You don't have anywhere to go." Phil reminded her; Dan nodding in agreement.

"'Eh, I've survived as a street rat. I'll be alright." Claudia shrugged her shoulders. Dan and Phil looked at one another knowingly, before turning back to their shorter companion.

"No." Dan and Phil protested in unison. Claudia cocked her eyebrows into a questioning look before crossing her arms against her chest.

"Well then, looks like you two have a plan. Tell." Claudia demanded.

"We're obviously not just going to let you 'become a street rat again.'. You're going to stay with one of us." Phil explained.

"We don't care with which one, we just can't stand the thought of having you just roaming the streets. Knowing that you could stay with us." Dan added on.

Claudia didn't answer for a moment. Processing all that these boys were spitting at her. Then after five moments worth of silence, she nodded her head.

"I'll stay with both of you. I can be like a kid you two share, 'cept you have to transfer me from house to house. Like divorced parents. I don't wanna be with just one of you guys. That feels...choose-y. I don't like that. Feels like I'm picking favorite." Claudia murmured with a shudder. Dan and Phil nodded in understanding.

"So, who will you stay with this first night?" Phil wondered, slightly hoping that she would stay with him.

"I'll go with Dan," Claudia tossed her head gesturing towards the dark-brunette boy who smiled widely. Phil felt a bit of the air in him be sucked out, but then he remembered that she would stay with him the next night. Therefore he smiled anyways.

"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow then. Goodnight, Claudia." Phil muttered before giving the shorter girl a hug, and then heading off in the opposite direction.

Claudia and Dan looked at each other and smiled, before clasping hands together, and running off in the other direction towards Dan's house.


	4. Go To Hell For Heaven's Sake by BMTH

Dan unlocked the front door leading into his house, and stepped aside to allow Claudia to enter first. He then flipped on the lights to reveal a small simple living room. His whole house was a basic four bedroom house with two bathrooms. There was a basement, but no attic or upstairs in general existed. The redheaded girl twisted her head left to right, then rolled her head up and down. Getting a good full view of her current surroundings.

"Nice little place you've got here, kiddo." Claudia commented, sitting down on the beige-colored couch's arm, and then falling onto her side so that she now laid down.

"It's nothing beautiful, but it's simple and that's all we needed." Dan explained, walking over to the couch; lifting up Claudia's head, and sitting down beside her. Leaving her head to rest on his lap.

There was a moment of silence over the two of them before it was broken by a familiar voice to only Dan.

A voice that was tied with horrific memories that it caused Dan's heartbeat to rise, his ears to fill with it's pounding, and his pupils to widen in pure terror.

"So, what's my little brother brought home today?"

It was Dan's elder brother, Dakota.  
The one that was supposed to be back in Berkshire Rehabilitation Facility.

Claudia could sense that whoever this person was frightened him; which caused her protective mannerism to kick in within a few seconds. She sprung up onto her feet, and readied herself in case physical fighting occurred.

"Who the fuck are you?" Claudia questioned as she turned to face the individual who had just made a sudden appearance. The redheaded girl was greeted with the sight of a face that looked strikingly similar to Dan.

Same nose, same eye color, eyebrow shape, skin tone, all of that was spot on. Except this person owned shorter, darker hair than Dan. Also he was slightly bigger in muscle than thin little Daniel.

"C-Claudia, this is my brother, D-Dakota." Dan stuttered quietly, as he stood to his own feet to stand beside his female companion. That's when a spark of memory was lit in the back of Claudia's mind. Dakota had beaten Dan badly once to the point that Dan was hospitalized. That's why the littler brown-haired boy was so scared.

Well, one thing was for sure to the redheaded girl.  
She wasn't about to let that happen again.

"I thought you said he was in rehab back in Berkshire though." she stated from Dan's earlier explanation.

"I _was _in rehab, they let me go though, and I came home today. Didn't mum and dad tell you?" Dakota wondered, looking at his younger brother. Dan just shook his head in answer.

"Hm, of course, why would they?" the older male hissed, that's when Claudia noticed something else in his dark brown eyes. It was revenge.

Before either Dan or Claudia could blink, Dakota grabbed an empty beer bottle that sat on the nightstand next to him, and threw it in Dan's direction. Acting on instinct, Claudia pushed Dan down to the ground, then turned to the side; the bottle shattering when it came into contact with her shoulder. Pieces of the broken glass cutting her arm, and crimson liquid began to surface.

Dakota, now becoming angered with Claudia, walked over to her quietly while she examined her wounds for a moment, and grabbed the front of her shirt. Bringing her face just inches away from his before raising his hand to slap her across the side of her face.

Yet, his hand never came in contact with her cheek.

Dan tackled his older brother to the ground before Dakota could abuse Claudia any further. The two siblings then began to fight, both constantly swinging at one another while dodging the other's blows the best they could.

The younger of the two boys had had enough of his older kin. First, he beat Dan to his almost literal death at the age of fifteen. Then he comes back around and tries to beat his companion. Dan wasn't having any of it anymore. Dakota could hurt him, but he wasn't about to let his brother hurt Claudia again.

_Crack._

The sickening noise occurred when Dan's fist came in contact with Dakota's nose. Dan then pushed Dakota into one of the love-seats, the impact of Dakota's body being flung into it caused it to tumble backwards.

Dan then turned and grabbed Claudia's hand, leading the two of them out of the house. Not even daring to look back to see if Dakota was anywhere near them. They just needed to get away from there. To get help, but not adult help. Help from someone they could trust.

* * *

Phil sat on the couch in his living room, his eyes glued to the screen which displayed yet another episode of Doctor Who. Something he always did, he loved watching Doctor Who. He wondered if Claudia had ever seen Doctor Who, and if she liked it. He wondered if she hadn't watched it before if she'd sit down with him to watch it. To give it a try, and it made him wish the redheaded girl was there with him.

Clearly being to focused upon the television program, when there was pounding at the front door it startled Phil half to death. Causing him to jump as if he were watching a horror film. He slowly raised himself off his place on the couch, and began to walk over to the front door. Peaking out the window placed beside the door questioningly, he was surprised when he saw the red and brown hair of Claudia and Dan.

Quickly unlocking the door, he was greeted with the unfriendly sight of his two companions. The redheaded girl with a river of blood flowing down her pale arm, while the dark-haired boy had a busted lip and a black eye. Both teenagers were disheveled and out of breath.

"Oh my God, what the hell happened?!" Phil wondered.

"Long story, but could you please let us in first?" Claudia hissed, but not in anger. Phil glanced down at her arm once again, watching as blood was beginning to run to her fingers, and splatter onto the concrete ground.

Phil nodded and stepped aside, allowing the two beaten souls to enter his house. He then lead them into the large downstairs bathroom, and began to gather some supplies. He then treated the wounds of his two friends, starting with Claudia's river of blood. Cleaning her wounds and wrapping her arm in gauze. He then cleaned the blood up around Dan's busted lip and grabbed him an ice pack to press against his black eye.

"So, what happened again?" Phil questioned once again after have cleaned up the wounded, and the three of them were seated on the floor of his living room.

"Claudia and I just walked in the door; everything seemed fine. No one was home, but really I didn't think much of it. It was like he appeared out of thin air. My brother was there, apparently the rehab facility had let him go. - I don't know if he was drunk, or vengeful, but he was definitely not happy with me. He tried to hurt me at first by throwing an empty beer bottle at me. Claudia pushed me down and took the injury for herself though. He was just about to start beating her even more, but I tackled him. We wrestled for a bit before I finally punched him in the nose, and pushed him into a chair. While he was still dazed Claudia and I escaped...which pretty much brings us to here." Dan explained.

Phil glanced between Dan and Claudia, neither of them appeared to be the carefree 'we-do-what-we-want' tag team that they were at school. No, they were like small children who were left with an abusive father. He felt so bad for them.

"Dan, where do we go? We can't go back to your house, and I'm not allowed to go back home. Where do we go?" Claudia murmured, bringing the realization to the dark-brown-haired boy.

"You stay with me of course." Phil concluded; he watched as Claudia and Dan looked at each other for a second before turning back to him. Answering him in different answers, but in unison all the same.

"I don't know, Phil, I don't want to be a bother." Dan muttered.

"What about your parents? I don't want your parents worrying over me. I don't trust parents, I don't trust adults." Claudia barked.

Phil sighed in exasperation before answering the both of them: "Dan, you won't be a bother; Claudia, you'll be okay I promise. I'll tell my parents that you don't want to be worried over, they'll understand."

Dan and Claudia glanced at each other once again before mirroring one another as they shrugged their shoulders, and slightly nodded their heads.

That rest of the night the three of them settled down on couch watching Doctor Who, until they all collapsed against each other in sleep. Phil leaned against the couch with the weight of Claudia leaning on him who held the weight of Dan leaning on her. And that's how the three of them fell into slumber, snuggled up against one another.


End file.
